


Magic and Slayers and Unconventional relationships in Lima oh my!

by abbleswhobabbles



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Glee
Genre: Bunny born of late night binge wathcing, Cross posted of FF.net under cuddleswithdooldes, F/F, F/M, Heavy use of OFC and Poly relationships if it isn't your thing don't read. If so thanks, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, canon level violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-15
Updated: 2016-12-15
Packaged: 2018-09-08 20:53:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8861230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abbleswhobabbles/pseuds/abbleswhobabbles
Summary: Rachel, glee club diva by day slayer by night is not as friendless as one might think. She has friends, good ones in fact and when they come to town things get a little topsy turvy, relationships are redefined and world views expanded. (Some OOC, born of late night binge watching both shows and reading stuff on Tth till 3 AM.)(OFC heavily involved)





	1. chapter 1 Rachel finds family

**Author's Note:**

> Nothing Glee or Buffy or song titles and lyrics are mine. This is a self indulgent piece of fan fiction admittedly but i'm having fun writing it so if you have fun reading it cool beans. If not that's cool too however flames will be used to roast marshmallows and hot dogs.

Rachel was nervous as she followed Mr. Harris through the stately council living building. She had put up a fight coming with him till she accidently broke her grandmothers antique table that had been left to her. It took that moment to accept her destiny as a slayer. After that she went with Mr. Harris without a fuss, besides it wasn't like she had any real friends in Lima and even her dads had abandoned her in all but name and financial support. Her only prayer now was that Mr. Harris was right and she would find friend ship here. People that loved and accepted her as is and not just for her singing voice and talent. Mr. Harris slid open a door that was so well hidden in the wall that if you weren't looking for it and didn't know it was there you would never find it. As the door swung open they where greeted by music playing on the radio and teenagers spread out around both floors of the room. The top floor was a library with tables to work at while the lower was a living room type area with inviting looking over stuffed chairs and a huge pit sofa. Shelves lined the walls displaying strange artifacts and weapons as well as more books. A vintage record player and an entire wall of vinyl records took up the wall over where a pool table, dart board and air hockey table where set up. A radio was tucked in by the fire place and a huge flat screen tv hung above the mantle turned off for now. It was a strange mix of styles and personalities in one space but it all worked together to make it homey and inviting. There was a blue haired boy asleep on the sofa under a homemade afghan, another one tall and burly with sandy hair and blue eyes looked at whatever the tiny redhead girl babbling at him was showing him. His expression indulgent as she babbled on about it, like Finn used to do with Rachel sometimes when she went on a long winded spiel about Broadway. A tall leggy brunette was standing laughing with a well built muscle bound redhead that looked like he could be the other girls brother. The redhead glanced up like she felt Rachel's eyes on her and gave a goofy cocked smile before handing something to tall boy and bolting over to them to throw her self in Xander fully expecting him to catch her. Which he did spinning her around in a circle. The diva wondered if she was Dawn, Xander's adoptive little sister or Briar his both legal and not adopted daughter.

"You're home!" The redhead bellowed as he put her on her feet again. "You missed it dad, We finally got back at the old Goat."

"Oh great and powerful grey skull, what did you five do now?" Xander said grinning.

"Loads, we'll fill you in later Xand." The tall leggy brunette answered joining the hug, "Mean while, who is this?"

"Oh right, manners." Xander said as the boys who where awake joined them lingering back a little. "Guys this is your new slayer, at least till school starts back up Rachel, Rachel this is the Brat Pack. The redhead is Briar, that's Dawnie, they are very much couple. I hope you brought insulin they will give you diabetes. That is Connor and Danny, the lump on the sofa is Jordy."

"He shifted on one of the old school butt munchers, it wasn't pretty." The redhead said like they where talking about a puppy snarling at a squirrel before turning her sea foam green and orange rust eyes on Rachel. For a second it was unnerving and Rachel couldn't figure out why till she realized the left eye had a solid ring or the copper around the pupil where the left was flecked through with it making them mismatched. And that was how she met the best friends Rachel ever had, how she ended up with three big brothers three dad like figures that where twice the dads to her in six months over two years than her own where her entire life, and two moms that she had always wanted, a big sister, a heap of extended family. Only down side was it made Lima so much lonelier.


	2. ch2 Sarajevo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AN: This story has themes of Polyamory, an OFC strongly featured whose POV will be used off and on through out so just a heads up. This is a little self indulgent so i understand if it isn't your cup of tea, i'm letting you know now so you don't flame me later. Any flames will be used to toast marshmallows.

Numb, that was the first thing that registered in Briar's mind. The kind of numb that left you cold to the bone and feeling like you where in someone else's skin trying to get their body to move. Smoke was all around her and she felt herself choke on it but couldn't move to cover her mouth and nose. There was a scent in the air that permeated the cloud of smoke hanging in that hallway, the smell of blood. Was it hers? She didn't feel anything that would lead to her smelling of blood. There was another bang somewhere down the hall and fear gripped a hold of her gut and twisted. She quickly closed her eyes until she heard the heavy retreating footsteps fade off. When she opened them something in the back of her hazy brain told her she had to move. She sat up slowly and took stock of her self through the eyes of someone utterly detached from her self. Her left shoulder was bleeding through some sort of make shift tourniquet and the entire arm was numb. Well that was new. She pulled her self up with her other arm wincing as she slammed her protesting body into the lockers behind her as another round of bangs went off somewhere deeper in the building. Oh look at that her leg was bent at the knee in an unnatural angle. She was pretty sure the haze she was operating in was from shock and blood loss now but couldn't find it in her to move, not even to brush away the silvery white strands of formerly auburn locks off her forehead, so she laid back down and let the dark wash over her.

"Clear!" A voice stated as heavy foot steps came closer. Bang. "Clear."

"I've got one, it's Briar." A voice shouted as a man kneeled beside her dressed in SWAT gear... She knew him, he was home, family, safe. "Stay with me Sweetheart."

"That's right you are. Hey don't close your eyes, let me see those eyes." The man coaxed gently. "Where is the medics?"

"They are back logged." Another man, older, gentle hazel eyes she spent a lot of time avoiding after she pulled a prank with Connor.

"This is probably going to hurt Princess but I'm going to get you out of here ok?" She nodded as much as she could and then hissed when her picked her up bridal style holding her to his chest. "I know just hang on for me. I've got you Princess just hang on." She couldn't, she tried but the dark consumed her again.

**Time break**

"How is she Xander?" Briar knew that voice well, the only mom she had ever known.

"Should wake up any time, it was touch and go for a while but you know our girl Cordy, she'll pull through. When is Dawnie getting here?" Xander asked as the pair embraced unaware that a pair of sea green eyes was fluttering open and adjusting to the light.

"A few hours tops, Connor insisted on coming too, no surprise there really." Cordy replied breaking their embrace. Briar coughed a little snapping their attention to her. Cordy rushed to her side smoothing rich red hair the color of fall leaves off her forehead. "Hi baby, don't try to talk your vocal chords and throat are still very swollen. Do you want some water?"

"I'll get the doctor." Xander bounded out of the room as Cordy coached Briar to drink some water. A few minutes later a flurry of people where around her checking her vitals and shinning lights in her eyes that made her wince. When they kicked up the lights she had to close her eyes, the light hurt a lot. After the flurry subsided she let the heady effect of the meds they pumped into her sweep her away back into the blissful dark.

***Time Break**

"Hi baby." It was Dawn's face that greeted her this time, her head was clearer now and she knew who, where, and what she was. The blinding light was back and she whimpered as much as her throat would let her. Dawn popped up and flipped off the overhead lights. "Sorry honey we didn't think you would wake up this soon."

'H...How long was I out?" Briar rasped out her voice sounding awful, just awful.

"A few days since you woke up the first time. You should take it easy trying to talk your throat is still healing. How is your head?" Dawn sat attentively by her side and watching her face Briar realized how scared she was that she was going to die in the Sarajevo office and school and never see her girl friend again. Briar lifted her hand and put it in Dawn's lacing their fingers.

"Hurts. How is my shoulder and knee?" She asked voice a little stronger but still very raspy.

"Shoulder is going to heal, the shrapnel missed anything major but you may not get full range back in it for while if ever. Your knee was pretty bad, when it got twisted you tore tendons, screwed up some nerves, tore the muscles. It isn't dead but you might have to walk with a cane for a while and probably off and on for the rest of our lives. Willow is more worried on how that spell is effecting you, you pulled a lot of energy through your self. The migraine and the sensitivity to the lights are a side effect. We don't know if it'll go away." The brunette started to cry. "I though I lost you when I saw the explosion."

"Come here." Briar eased herself over to make room for the brunette who climbed in and refused to let go of the redhead.

**Time Break**

Nine weeks later Briar was out of the hospital and up on her feet, well mostly. She was slowly switching over from the crutches to a cane. She could talk now but her voice was raspier... Dawn found it kind of hot so Briar was ok with it even if it meant relearning how to sing in her new range to appease Rachel. Her shoulder was pretty much back to normal the only thing that wasn't clearing up or getting easier to manage was a side effect of the spell. She was pretty much blind in bright lights these days, florescent lights where the worse and left her with a splitting migraine. She was home though, at one point she didn't think she would be back with Dawn and her family at all. She had been home for about a month when a meeting was called in the war room.

"Evening Pet." Spike, the redheads adopted dad greeted bolting to his feet and across the room hovering over her and pulling out a chair between him and Dawn for her. Once she was seated he put a kiss to the top of her head inhaling deep. She always smelled like spices and citrus even after gym time. He noticed she had screwed her eyes shut and glared at Andrew before flipping off the bright lights and flipping on a few lamps. "Sorry pet, Andy must have spaced it."

"It's all good, I'm still getting used to it myself." She shot Andrew a look that said she wasn't upset before laying her head on Spikes shoulder and lacing her fingers with Dawn's.

"Rach called earlier, she's planning on coming for the holiday's." Dawn informed her girl friend as they waited for the rest of the people called to the meeting.

"Sweet, I missed her, I still say her glee club doesn't deserve her." Briar replied. She thought a lot of the tiny brunette slayer from Ohio that sung like a Broadway legend.

"That's actually what we wanted to talk to you kids about." Xander announced as he strode into the room dropping a kiss on both girls head and plopping next to Spike followed by Giles, Cordy, Faith, Fred and Graham. Buffy followed more sedately behind looking like someone kicked her puppy.

"We have been discussing the incidents here in Europe and have decided for your safety that you lot are being transferred stateside." Giles waved them off as the two girls, Connor and Danny went to protest. He pinned Briar with a grandfatherly worried look that made her feel more loved in a matter of seconds than she had in the first thirteen years of her life. "We almost lost one of you in Sarajevo none of us want that to happen again. As long as your here you are caught up in the middle of our fight with our rouge splinter. The American offices are loyal to the new way of things so it would behoove us to send you there. We also know Dawn and Briar have been chomping at the bit to get their research and team off the ground. Where better than the states?"

"Where?" Dawn asked with a sigh, she got their point. She never wanted another day like she had when the Sarajevo office was hit. She also knew that not only Briar but she and the others needed a chance to heal from it.

"Well we have been toying with the idea of reopening the council holdings in Lima." Cordy smiled as the kids brightened up considerably. Briar looked over at Connor and Danny who nodded.

"Ok." Briar nodded. "I'm assuming that close to the hell mouth and with the fact that even though we'll be an ocean away from the rouges we are still probably reasonably high on their hit list we'll have a full experienced team with us."

"Of course you goober." Graham teased smiling over at the two girls who couldn't help but return his infectious grin. He was the newest member of the poly tribe that took the parenting roles for the Brat Pack but they adored him and where quickly growing to look to him like they did Spike and Xander. "Like we would let our kids live that close to the hell mouth, fight the ghostly bad guys and brave high school without us."

" It's what's best." Buffy murmured hugging her sister. "I know they will take care of you. You deserve, you all deserve to have a little bit of teenage normalcy... well as normal as you four can get anyway."

"Thanks Buffy." Dawn squeezed her sister for a second. They still sometimes had their issues but with Buffy stepping back and letting other people be the parent they where developing a much better relationship as sisters. Maybe with the distance it would give the last of the festering sores on that relationship a chance to heal along with the battle scarred teens.


	3. ch3 In Lima

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An: Just a chapter bringing in our favorite diva and getting Dawn and Briar into Glee club.

achel was only half listening to Mr. Schue blather on about some artist the rest of the gleeks and the student body they where planning an assembly for couldn't care less about. Or as Briar and Dawn would phrase it give a flying fart in space about. God she missed the Brat Pack, all of them, she missed their friendship and tight knit camaraderie. The summers she spent with them where the only times she had actual friends. She missed Dawn's sunny demeanor in spite of the things she had seen along with her need for knowledge, she missed Briar's fierce loyalty and witty humor, she missed Connor's broody protective presence, she even missed the incorrigible Danny and his outrageous flirting, she just missed them in general. She missed their group or guardians too. Spike, Graham, and Xander where more her dads anymore than the two men that had raised her, and in Cordy and Fred she found two mothers to replace Shelby... Faith was more a big sister. A leather clad one with the mouth of a sailor. Today was the worst day since she left them at the end of the summer for missing them, probably because she felt more alone than ever since breaking up with Finn for lying about sleeping with Santana. He just lucky Briar was still laid up from her injuries or he would have had a pissed off girl that had watched her sister slay for years, a raging Cajun redhead with a penchant for placing bony body parts in painful places, a pissed off 'Destroyer', and a half demon watcher on his ass like ugly on a warthog. As everyone else broke into groups to chitchat at the end of glee about their new assignment Rachel played idly with the gold star dangling at her throat from a black choker necklace, hers was a gold star, Dawn's was a silver crescent moon and Briar's was a copper sun. There was a knock at the door and it opened revealing the two very girls she was thinking about. She was out of her chair and across the room barely containing her self lest she reveal herself to the glee club.

"What are you two doing here?" She asked Dawn who was the closest and thus the first one to be pulled into Rachel's version of a bear hug.

"What we can't drop in to surprise our favorite diva?" Dawn asked laughing good naturedly at ache's enthusiasm.

"Of course you can, any time." Rachel beamed up at the leggy brunette before turning her full attention on the petite redhead. With her the hug was much more gentle but no less desperate. Rachel too a deep breath inhaling the smell of mint, citrus and tea tree from that always clung to the girls hair. God, she thought for a little while she would never hug her friend again. Hugging her now finally drove home that Briar was alive and kicking. "You have no idea how good it is to see you."

"Aww chucks, Rach make a girl blush why don't ya?" Briar teased lightly breaking their hug. Rachel noticed that she held herself differently than she had in late August and it wasn't just the leg injury that was encased in a knee brace. The redhead's eyes where squinting shut, the florescent lights where getting to her. Still she cocked one perfect auburn brow. "Hey Rach, not to be a buzz kill but maybe introductions to the staring people are in order so they stop staring. I mean I know our hot selves are hard not to gawk at but it's a smidge unnerving."

"Oh, I got so wrapped up in your being here that I lost my manners." Rachel looked back at the glee club who indeed where staring at the new comers with looks ranging from polite curiosity to slight sneering that they where there to see Rachel. "Fellow glee clubbers these are my friends Dawn Summers and Briar Chase-Pratt. Dawnie, Briar-Rose this is the glee club."

"Hello." Dawn said politely enough but didn't bother to take all of the chill out of the greeting. "We're going to wait for you to finish up."

"Then it's dinner at ours, mom is making her specialty." Briar threw in after a nod to the gleeks. Sea green and orange rust eyes glaring at the tallest person in the room briefly before turning her attention back to Rachel.

"So in other words she's phoning in?" Rachel had a found grin on her face. "I'm in. Glee club is winding down any way. Good afternoon fellow glee clubbers."

"Sweet, oh wait till you see what happened to Spikes hair." Dawn said excitedly as they made their way out the door Briar hobbling a head of them.

"Oh this I have to see to the bat cave Robins!" Rachel laughed as their voices faded out.

"Well that was..." Kurt said staring after Rachel and the two strangers, the two well dressed strangers.

"Weird very weird." Finn grumbled also staring after them. The few times he had been in Rachel's room she had a large picture of herself, those two girls and two boys all laying in some grass in front of some totally old European building. Rachel Berry had friends that weren't him.

**At the Council Manor on the edge of town**

"So how did this happen?" Rachel asked reaching up and playing with a lock of shocking magenta on Spikes normally platinum head. She was trying really hard not to laugh her butt off at the vampire.

"Lost a bet, don't get used to it two more weeks and I'm back to my former glory." Spike grumbled raking a hand through his hair. "It's damn good to see you Song Bird, finally got me 'Bits back together in one place does my old self good to see it."

"Me too." Rachel put her head on Spikes shoulder watching Les Mis on the big screen of the theatre room. It was just like old times, Xander had an arm around Dawn who was cuddled to his side, Danny and Connor where on either side of Cordy and Briar was cuddled up to Graham. Graham being her snuggle 'parent' was a change of pace. She knew they had grown closer since he rescued her during the Sarajevo incident, they had both seen the destruction that day first hand and it had formed a bond between them. She was home she realized suddenly. Home was no longer a place it was a group of people and that was ok. Monday Dawn and Briar would be by her side at school and she wouldn't just be the friendless loser anymore. She fell asleep on Spikes shoulder content for the first time in two months.

**Monday**

Kurt watched the two new girls and Rachel from a safe distance lest he get slushy on his new blazer. It was odd seeing Rachel with friends, stylish ones at that. Dawn, the tall one with the very blue eyes, pin straight golden brown hair with the body of a runway model was dressed in jeans and a graphic tee under a leather jacket. The redhead that was about Rachel's height with a curvier build that still managed to be athletic, big unusual slightly mismatched eyes and auburn hair that reminded him of red fall leaves and the leaves on a Japanese maple tree was wearing a pair of brown leggings and a slouchy over sized printed sweater that went to her upper thighs and hung slightly off one shoulder exposing the lace strap of he under shit. It wasn't his cup of tea but it was sort of vintage-grunge chic. The knee brace kind of ruined the look though.

"Ok Rachel you win lead the way. Giles stipulated we had to have at least one extracurricular." Dawn said to the shorter brunette who bounced in place beaming before leading them down the hall towards glee. The male diva wiped out his phone and gave Mercedes a heads up about their new additions to glee.

Rachel tugged the two girls down beside her and looked over Mindy thoughtfully before handing her a no freeze ice pack from her bag. Briar cocked an eyebrow at her in askance and Rachel shrugged.

"You look like you're knee may be bothering you again." Rachel shrugged pressing the ice pack into the girls hand while Dawn popped up grabbing a chair and putting it in front of Briar giving her a look that had the redhead putting her foot in it and taking off the brace to put the ice pack on it. "Are your pills in your bag?"

"No, the nurses office. School policy and when I went to get one after my study hall the nurse was gone for the day and Figgins wouldn't let me get them out of the office without the nurse there." Briar rolled her eyes wincing when the ice pack touched her slightly swelling knee before relaxing.

"That man hasn't got the sense god gave a goose." Rachel grumbled. "You sure your up for staying for glee? If you need to go home we will."

"I'm ok Rachel, as long as no one expects me to get up and dance i'll be fine." Briar assured the two worry warts, her eyes and head weren't so bad today and who knew what they would be like tomorrow? So now would be the time to be here.

"Are you sure Babe? Your looking a little pale." Dawn asked concern written all over her pretty face.

"I'm always pale, comes with being a natural redhead. I'm fine I promise just sore and a little tired." Briar waved away their concern as the rest of the glee club slowly trickled in. To Rachel's surprise Quinn smiled over at them, well at Mindy anyway who smiled back and nodded before turning her attention to the front. Curious.

"Hey guys..." Schue greeted bustling in after all of the students and ten minutes late as usual. "Looks like we have some new members. Do you guys have something prepared for us?"

"Sure do Schue." Dawn nodded and got up he eyes locking on he girlfriend as she sang Briar's favorite childhood song. It was from the movie the swan princess and despite traditionally being a duet it was really good. The rest of the glee club missed the significance of the song but it was in no way missed by the two girls in the front row, the rest could just appreciate Dawn's soft soprano that made her sound like a Disney princess.

"Very nice Dawn." Schue said clapping with the rest of the club. He looked at Mindy who had her foot propped up. "Are you good to go today or do you want to wait?"

"I'm good." Briar hobbled to her feet handing Rach the ice pack and quickly strapping the brace back on. She wobbled a little when she was fully standing but quickly righted her self. She hobbled over to Brad and whispered in his ear earning her a surprised grin from the piano player. Her voice was husky and raspy like an old time blues/country singer with a low register. The song she chose highlighted that raspy lower register to perfection making her seem like a singer from a by gone era of Americana. She was singing a Faith hill song if Will wasn't mistaken. It was about someone whose gone still being there.

"Great, that was great girls really. Ok guys now let's change gears and talk about this weeks lesson." Schue started talking about easy listening and how it might get them the vote when it came time to compete and assigned that they should work individually on a song to present on Friday.


	4. ch 4 at the manor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An: I have picked this up again since I got a sparkly new computer. Hope I haven't lost all of my readers. This chapter may be a little rough since I'm trying to get back into the flow of this story. I'm already working on the next chapter and it should be out soon.

Rachel heaved a content sigh as she settled between Briar and Dawn, for once she wasn't having to call them off from tearing someone apart. Since joining glee a few weeks ago they had come close to tearing the other gleeks apart for their treatment of Rachel but mostly she had to call them off of Schue. They quickly grew tired of his double standards and my problems are the biggest in the world woe is me ego. Rachel knew the only reason they stayed was for her and because Giles demanded they have an extracurricular that didn't include staking or cleansing rituals or he would lower their admittedly rather healthy council stipend. Today though there was no barbs being thrown, no Finn purposely pushing Dawn's buttons and Santana pissing Briar off every few minutes. Spirits where high with it being the last day before the winter break. Exams where over and they had a whole two weeks o freedom to run like dogs without horses with glee meetings to prepare for Regionals the week they got back. The parents had been called to Cleveland to attend a summit meeting about the growing tensions with the rouge faction, the same people that had been behind the attack on Sarajevo that left Briar forever changed. They weren't letting themselves fret, the rents demanded they didn't so they weren't. Instead they had plans to decorate the house for the Christmas party, do some holiday baking or rather Rachel making sugar cookies and Briar fielding the rest. Cooking had become even more of an outlet for the tiny redhead since the incident it gave her a hobby that didn't mean putting too much strain on her magic or still healing body. Her knee was getting a little better and she could forgo the cane for longer spurts as long as she wore a brace and her shoulder was getting more range of motion but the truth she'd had to accept was that active field duty wasn't an option for her anymore, not really. Thus the cooking, her way to feel useful besides just using her magic since she couldn't go marching into the field with the team. She still wasn't doing any big magic since that day when she had almost fried herself with the energy she had channeled from the ley line but she kept them stocked on slaves and exploding potions that helped in the field. Dawn stayed close by afraid to let the redhead out of her sight for too long still.

"Can I play with it?" Rachel was snapped out of her thoughts by Britt coming to sit behind Briar. The bubbly blonde had grown fascinated by the mass of flame curls that flowed down Briar's back. Rachel caught Santana rolling her eyes but the Latin girl said nothing to stop it. The tall blonde and petite redhead had formed a friendship since Briar had volunteered to tutor her during their shared study hall.

"Knock yourself out." Briar told her going back to sorting out some of her recipes on her tablet. "Hey Rach what do you think of this one, does it sound good?"

"Sounds wonderful." Rachel nodded, it was a recipe for goose and cranberry. Schue came bustling in late from his meeting in Figgins office and set his bag down clearly frustrated.

"Bad news guys." He turned to face them looking frazzled, he had their full attention even Briar looking up from her tablet. Britt's hands never stopped moving as she continued braiding Briar's hair. "We can't practice here over the break, the school is being tented and treated for pests till three days before we come back."

"It only took a giant fat rat doing back strokes in the chili." Santana muttered.

"Now aren't you two glad I'm so neurotic about our lunches?" Briar teased the two brunettes with a smirk. "Called me a food snob."

"Honey, Baby, Lady love of mine, you are a food snob." Dawn grinned goofily over at the redhead who in a sterling act of maturity stuck her tongue out at the snickering brunettes,

"Well my snobby packing of our lunches saved you from munching on rat doodoo." She retorted crossing her arms.

"You make really good soup even if it is thumper." Britt commented having had some of her Rabbit stew one afternoon during their study session.

"Guys off topic." Schue injected steering them back. "We need to brainstorm a solution."

"We can use our place." Dawn piped up. "We have plenty of room and our guardians wont care, their out of town till Christmas eve anyway then leave again the twenty seventh till after New Years. We can even make use of the ball room Xander has lovingly refinished."

"If you are sure it wont be a problem." Scue's eyes lit up and the girls fought the urge to roll their eyes. If he hadn't waited till the last minute to get them ready, again, they wouldn't need so much practice over the break. Briar wipped out her phone firing off a text.

"I sent them a text to call so you can talk to them if you want." Briar informed him her phone ringing only a minute later. "Hi Dad, Xander says hi Dawnie and Rachel. Yep, sure can and will. Brought some home with us yesterday we are fully stocked on all fronts even bought a couple huge bags of food for the muttly crew. Yep, if you could tell Mr. Scue it's ok to use our place to rehearse that would be great. K. Here you go Mr. Schue it's my dad."

"Yes, hello. That is wonderful this will mean a lot to the kids. I will let them know, thank you again Mr. Harris. You have a wonderful trip, I will thanks again Bye." Schue handed Briar her phone back with a smile. "Well we have a place to rehearse. Mr. Harris also said that while we are there that we can make use of any of the facilities currently in operation."

"Yeah, the pool and sauna are up and running but some rooms and the entire west wing are still off limits." Rachel nodded. "I think Graham fixed the hot tub."

"He did, Took a while to get rid of all of those bubbles though." Dawn tittered.

"That kids is why we should never leave Connor unattended." Briar snickered.

"He put a whole huge bottle of bubble bath in it. Next thing we knew he went streaking laughing manically covered in bubbles as a massive cloud of bubbles bared down on us." Rachel explained unable to hold back the giggles. "It was epic."

"So team what say we call it a day today and meet up tomorrow say eleven?" Schue asked getting excited replies.

"I need to know if anyone has food allergies or diet restrictions, i'll make some brunch." Briar commented getting a round of no allergies from the gleeks. "Eleven it is."

"Bring an appetite." Dawn warned them helping her girlfriend to her feet then Rachel, they had prepping to do.

Saturday.

Dawn answered the door with a beaming smile offering to take their coats while they gawked at the entrance then the great hall where Briar had set up a, for Briar, small buffet spread complete with home made cocoa and an assortment of teas and coffee. The redhead and Rachel where no where insight though. The room should have been intimidating but it wasn't, it's dark woods and the rich color scheme of the furniture, rugs and artworks made it seem more inviting. The wolves carved painted of stitched into tapestries was a little unnerving however. The bright sunniness of Dawn helped though with making them feel at home in the mansion if it could be called that. Really it was more a sprawling palace.

"Rachel and Dawn are taking care of some stuff please help your selves Briar made enough to feed an army." Dawn gestured to the spread as they heard a crash and laughing somewhere in the building followed by a booming bark. Before long they where joined by a smiling diva and redhead that had a scared pit bull between them. "There they are."

"Hi guys." Briar greeting snagging a sausage and giving it to the pit bull who sat without being asked. "Oh snap, I didn't think to ask if anyone is allergic to dogs, I can pin up the mutts."

"It's ok." Britt insisted over the din of nos. "Who is this guy?"

"This is Bubbles, our rescue Pit. When we moved here the Rents said we could have some dogs so we adopted from around the country. Bubbles came from Virginia, he was rescued from a fighting operation. He was never much of a fighter so he was used as bait poor guy. Briar found his picture online and fell in love." Dawn explained.

"That's cause I knew he was meant to be my baby huh Bubbles?" He responded by liking her nose. "You can pet him if you want he loves him some belly rubs."

"Yay, hi Bubbles." Britt instantly dropped to her knees and started loving on the dog making Santana smile at the happiness in the blondes eyes.

"Any way once ya'll are fed we can do a quick tour and get cracking, it looks like that storm shifted south, they're calling for blizzard conditions around four." Briar informed them. Once they where fed and had something warm to drink the girls gave them a brief tour of the house from the kitchen all the way to a massive gym, the pool and spa area and finally and honest to god straight out of a novel ballroom. It's marble floors gleamed in the light from outside and from the chandelier. There was gold pillars, and chandeliers, carvings of wolves and bears on the walls, portraits of dancers in imperial dress dancing , it was old school eastern European opulence. Elegant to the point that it felt a little odd to be standing in it in just their everyday clothes. "No street shoes please we just had it waxed, there's warm socks if you want so your feet don't freeze."

"Holy shit." Puck muttered , he knew they said ballroom but damn.

"Yeah, we're a little spoiled." Briar shrugged handing him a pair of thick wool socks. "In our defense it's a council holding. The other stuff well, our family likes to make sure we're happy."

"Pretty bracelet." Tina commented eying the charm bracelet on Briar's wrist. "Case in point?"

"Yeah the Rent's gave it to me the day my adoption officially went through." That caught their attention making Briar shrug. "Spike and Cordy or as I all them mom and Papa officially adopted me last year. Best Christmas present ever, of course that doesn't mean I love Dad, Pop Ma and Mama any less."

"Yep all the rents get the love." Dawn grinned kissing her forehead making more than a few eyes roll.

"Did they adopt you too?" Artie asked curious changing into the wooly socks despite not really needing too but he was happy they had thought to include him in the care packages laid out for them.

"Nah, my big sister has known them for years making them family. It's more like older siblings I had an awesome mom but Giles is more my father figure." Dawn replied. "We thrive of weird functioning dysfunction."

"Yeah they're great." Rachel agreed shyly not sure if she wanted the gleeks to know that even as they spoke Xander and Fred where waiting on their own custody of her to go through. She was in no way ashamed of Fred or Xander but she wasn't sure she could handle the ridicule she might recive over her fathers abandonment. Then again she didn't want to hide her bond with Fred and Xander. "True, I still can't decide between Burke and Harris."

"Hyphenate like I did it'd put them both over the moon." Brair replied helping Britt open her package of gel pens. Reading Rachel like a book, damn witches and their aura reading, she handed Britt the now open pack of pens and went to pull Rachel into a fierce hug. She knew Rachel was sad over her fathers idiocy in abandoning her but also happy with them, still the abandonment would always sting. She would know. Dawn joined their hug holding both girls. She may have had her mom but her dad walking away and not looking back stung. "It's their loss Rach. It's never not going to hurt but having people that love you helps."

"Thanks Bria, if I haven't said it today I love you guys." Rachel fought the urge to cry even as they broke their hug.

"Love you too Ray." the girls echoed.

"I feel like we're missing something." Finn said confusion on his face earning him a slap on the back of the head from Quinn.

"Why don't we get started guys?" Schue suggested even as he wondered if he read that right. That this Fred and Xander where adopting Rachel because her dads had left her. If that was the case where was Shelby. One problem at a time, first regionals. They gathered around sitting on the large floor pillows and bean bags provided, there was even blankets not too far away if they got cold. "Ok guys the theme for this year..."


	5. ch5 in the know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AN: This is unbeta'd and all mistakes are mine. I reread and spell check but some stuff still slips through the cracks.

"Well this sucks, we have zilch in our wheel house for this." Finn threw up his hands before raking them through his hair. "Country, why country?"

"Well that isn't entirely true." Rachel patted his hand awkwardly. "We have Puck, Briar, Sam, even Quinn could pull off a classic country ballad."

"We have a duet." Santana commented getting confused looks. "Rachel and Puck did that one song together last year. It was a country song. What? I pay attention occasionally."

"We should probably stay away from anything that crosses over into main stream every one and their dog will be doing Swift." Jesse commented for the first time tat day. He had been taking in the interactions of the three girls in their own environment to file away for later. There was something different going on here than they knew and he was determined to figure it out.

"We happen to be in luck, Briar has an extensive knowledge and collection of country music dating way back." Rachel beamed over at the redhead who had cocked a brow at her. So much for staying in the background. "I think she even has vinyl's of most classic country artists."

"Dad and I share a love of the out laws." Briar shrugged. "She's not wrong I love country."

"Well Gator bait take it away." Santana teased smirking. They spent the next few hours pouring over songs that would be appropriate to turn into group numbers. After a while snow had started to fall with out any of them really noticing they wehre so engrossed in listening to various songs from various decades and in a shocking turn of events laughing and joking with eachother.

"Hey guys it's starting to snow, we should probably get going." Schue announced glancing out the window.

"Aww we didn't get to swim." Britt pouted clearly put out.

"Well, who ever wants to stay can, we have plenty of open rooms." Dawn offered from where she was laying with her head in one half of her girl friends lap while Rachel took the other half. The red head had a hand carding through both brunettes hair absently like it was a normal occurrence and not totally out of place.

"Sweet, can we Santi? Please?" Britt turned big blue eyes on Santana and even if she had been going to say no she would have caved like a house of cards.

"Sure Britt." San nodded. In the end the only gleeks that left where Kurt, Mercedes, Tina, Artie, Mike, Rory, and Schue leaving Puck, Sam, Finn, Jesse who was in no way ready to leave finding their interactions fascinating, Quinn, Britt and Santana. Dawn and Rachel lead the way to the pool Briar agreed to join them later after she handled an important phone call.

"Is everything ok with Red, she seemed a little out of sorts?" Santana asked Rachel who was not only surprised by her concern but her civility. Maybe they should have glee in their home more often.

"She's ok she just has an important call from Europe she needs to take care of. She and Dawn have a lot of contacts world wide through the council. We Brats have to stick together." Rachel explained leaving out the fact that she would almost bet it was the Vatican calling if Briar was the only one that could take it. The Vatican was her contact and hers alone. Any time the two groups needed to work together she was their go between with the cardinals and on one strange occasion the pope. It wasn't that she was devout or anything but she had done some work for them before she ever even heard of the council and what it did. When a paranormal case got too much for the average investigator and lower level psychics Briar tended to get called as one of their elite investigators. She tended to take far fewer of those cases since she joined the council but she still took a fair few when she could. Giles infact was talking about giving her a unit all her own so she didn't have to rely on the Vatican for anything. It wasn't ever smooth sailing with the cardinals what with Briar being a witch and all but there where a few who saw her gifts as gods answer to evil and they where the ones she worked with more often than not.

"For what it's worth Berry i'm sorry about your fathers." Santana looked down while she said it but Rachel could hear the sincerity. Wonders never ceased to amaze.

"Hey baby, how was your call?" Dawn greeted sometime later after they had used the pool and where lured to the kitchen by the smell of food. The phone was still Briar's ear as she nodded in greeting. "Still?"

"No it's Mom." Briar replied kissing her girl softly before going back to what she was doing stirring something on the stove. "Yeah that was Dawnie, mom says she loves you Rachel and dawn."

"Love you back." Rachel bellowed pulling down enough plates to feed them all while Dawn pulled out silverware.

"Yeah we offered the gleeks that didn't want to brave it a place to crash. Yep, I'll send you the details from our friends in red. Yeah that's what I said, ok love you give the others our love. Bye mom." Hitting end call she turned to the gleeks with a small smile that no where near reached her eyes. "There is chili in both slow cookers, one is venison the other is beef their labeled. There's home made rolls on the counter help yourselves."

"Thanks Briar." Quinn replied as the others moved to get some food. "Are you ok? You seem a little stressed."

"Yeah I'm fine it's just some family stuff. Rach, Dawnie can I snag you two real quick? We need to talk about some family stuff." Briar turned to them and they nodded. "Make your selves at home there is soda and stuff in the fridge, we'll be right back. Bathroom is three doors down on the left if you need it."

"Ok." They got nods and concerned looks as they exited.

"Do you think everything is ok?" Quinn asked Santana who shrugged.

"I hope so but Red seems mighty worried." Was her reply, Jesse sat quietly next to Quinn pondering the three girls and the looks they had given each other.

"I'll be back I'm using the rest room." Her muttered, truth was he was going to see if her couldn't find them and over hear something in the guise of being lost in the huge house. He lucked out they where in the study near the kitchen the door ajar in their haste. He stopped and listened closely not really surprised when Santana sidled up along side him. Say what you would about the fiery beauty but she cared about the team even when she was making their lives harder.

"So our friends and red are giving us a heads up." Rachel stated with a sigh in her voice.

"Yeah, they don't know when, how or why but it's coming. There was plans for a lot of our locations from the LA HQ of AI, Cleveland, our office in Boston, all the way over to our office in Moscow and the Cairo out post." Briar replied. "The plans indicate more of what happened in Sarajevo if they pull them off. Good news is there is no indication of them knowing the location of our little slice of Lima heaven."

"Tat is good news, doesn't mean they can't reach us in other ways though." Dawn responded worry clear in her voice. "What if we get attacked tonight Gods forbid."

"We have permission from the war council to educate as needed. Question is do we go proactive and do a little show and tell now or wait until it becomes and issue?" Briar asked with her own sigh.

"I say we wait no need to bring any of them in until and unless necessary." Was Rachel's answer. "We should get back before they get suspicious. as anyone called Blaine yet?"

"Yeah Graham was on the phone with him when I called mom. Let's go put on the show smiles and get back to our friends." Briar suggested and the pair of spies bolted back to the kitchen where the too adopted their poker faces. Quinn knew San well enough to know what they had been up to and cocked a brow. San mouthed later and tucked into her own bowl of tasty chili before the girls arrived through the swinging kitchen doors.

"The chili is awesome Briar." Finn complimented on his second bowl. "Seriously awesome."

"Thanks Finn I'm glad you like it. If you want I can send a bowl home with you when you go after the storm lets up." Briar smiled softly taking a seat munching on a roll the giant fluffy dog that more closely resembled a bear that had been laying in a corner came to plant himself at her side leaning into her. "Hi baby boy, how is my Tsar huh?"

"Is that a dog or a bear?" Puck asked eyes wide at the sheer size of the dog.

"He is a Caucasian mountain dog, they where bred to hunt bears in the Russian wilderness." Briar quickly supplied. "He was an anniversary gift to me and Dawn from some friends back in Moscow that raise them."

"So fluffy." Britt gushed, as they finished up Dawn and Rachel loaded the dishwasher and made sure everyone had their fill before hearding the group to the gym so the boys minus Jesse and plus San could play basket ball. San and Puck had scored three times on Finn and Sam when all hell broke loose.


	6. ch6 Hell beasties and explinations

Seeing your friends kick the ass of a hoard of butt ugly creatures that came through a hole in space and time was more than just a little shocking. The tiny diva that a year or two ago preached about non violence and didn't look like she could hurt a fly wailed on the beasts like a Hebrew Xena. Dawn's eyes had started glowing neon green as she tossed orbs of the same green energy at the things that dared enter their home. The redhead was slowly becoming a silvery blonde as her hair bled from it's usual vibrant rich red to silver as it wiped in an unseen wind as she zapped the things left and right on her way to defend them. She kept them back behind some sort of force wavy see through force field knocking them back when they moved to help. 

"Can you two get the portal closed?" Rachel shouted over the din of the fight even as she was tossed by a purple horned beasty. 

"On it!" Dawn shouted back. "Cover me." 

"Stay the hell away from my girl." Briar snarled as one of the hulking green slime covered things went after Dawn. When she turned her, what ever it was off of it only a pile if slime remained. "Rach cover Dawnie I'm going to try and re-secure the wards or else we're sitting ducks." 

"Get off of our Key you heathen hell creature." Rachel snarled launching into a round of kicks and punches too fast for the gleeks eyes to track. 

"Portal closed, now Briar!" Dawn shouted and they felt an energy rush through them and around them like static electricity before a lightening storm throwing Briar back a few feet but she kept her feet under her somehow. Her hair was almost silver now with white now streaking through it as she flicked her wrist making a few beastly things that had swarmed the other two disappear before collapsing to the ground before any of them could move. As soon as the remaining creatures where thoroughly deceased Dawn rushed to her girl friends lifting her torso to cuddle her close. "Quinn, get my phone on the bleachers please?" 

"Ok." Quinn came back with the phone and handed it to the brunette glaring at the others so they would keep their mouths shut and not ask the billions of questions they all had till they knew Briar was ok. 

"Cordy we where attacked, of course you know. A bolt hole started pouring an assortment of unfriendlies. Got it taken care of Briar threw up some wards before collapsing I think she pulled too much. No time we where swarmed and went on instinct Rachel wailed on the fuckers. Silver with some white, I thought you had being a conduit has to suck from time to time. Is she going to wake up she almost didn't last time. I know I just, it's too much like Sarajevo not to be worried." The former redhead shifted in her arms and Dawn breathed a sigh of relief. "She's starting to stir, does this mean they know where we are? Good, makes sense they where focusing on our persons and not location since it's strictly need to know. They have to have some powerful witches working with them for them to be able to trace our signatures when we aren't casting, like almost Willow level. We will, also let Giles know we are about to bring six people into the know, we'll let you know. I'll tell them, stay safe we love you all." 

"Fuck." The now blonde croaked opening her eyes. "That hurt like a bitch, remind me not to do that again." 

"Noted." Rachel nodded. "Are you going to be ok?" 

"Yeah." Briar's eyes had stopped glowing orange around the pupil. "Just on a magical high that is going to lead to the magical hangover from hell." 

"Don't do that again." Dawn half growled half choked, Briar reached up locking their eyes as she touched Dawn's face lovingly. 

"Hey I'm here baby, right here it wasn't as bad as before I didn't pull near as much. Magic just manifests it's self easier now since the link is always there ready to be throw wide open." Briar assured her as Dawn leaned down so their foreheads touched. Rachel was wiping her eyes clearly having been as worried as Dawn, she was quickly pulled into the huddle. "No tears now, that was nothing just another Monday back home we're ok. Well minus having to give the speech, not it BTW, and unfortunately bring our friends into the know." 

"You mean into the know about what ever the hell those things where and when exactly you three discovered you're X-Men?" Sam asked. 

"Nothing as mundane as genetics." Rachel smirked. "Much more decisive and unfair at times." 

"Steroids?" Santana joked. 

"Destiny." The trio of veteran fighters chorused as they pulled Briar up off the floor and tucked her in between them. 

"I'll feed the bodies into the incinerator later let's go some place more comfy to talk." Rachel suggested. "This may take awhile." 

"whoa woozy." Briar swayed in place held up only by Dawn's grip on her. Finn stepped up and swung her up into his big arms making her squeak and look up at him in question. 

"You looked ready to fall over and your like, super tiny." He explained and she shrugged making no move to remove herself as the group walked through the halls and up the stairs to a large homey two story library that doubled as a living room and game room in one corner, a huge collection of vinyl's on one wall of the billiard area. The gleeks didn't know it but it was modeled after the liar at HQ in Bath. Finn set the little witch on the comfy looking bed sofa thing the was a huge square with pillows strewn all over and had a back to lean against all the way around. Everyone either climbed into 'the pit' or found a seat on one of the overstuffed arm chairs. 

"In every generation a girl is born, she alone will stand against the demons, the vampire and the forces of evil. She is the slayer then we went and changed it all." Dawn started giving them an over view of the world within their world that was largely unseen from the purpose of the slayer and the role of the other champions of the fight and the council. She glossed over her own history just citing mystic as her title, witch plus for Briar. 

"But if there is so many slayers now than Rachel isn't really needed." Jesse stated hopeful that the tiny diva could still chase the dreams she held from child hood. 

"For every one of us good guys there is hundreds of nasties." Rachel explained giving him a soft smile. "Dreams change sometimes, I couldn't walk away not knowing what I know. Not when my family is in it on the front lines more often than not. Maybe someday I will still make it to the stage but I have other priorities now, the fight comes first." 

"Ok I get that, you where called by destiny but what about you two?" Quinn asked curious. 

"Destiny, I'm the younger sister of the OG slayer I was always going to be in this life whether Buffy or I liked it or not. There is more to it but that's a story for another time. Even if I wasn't a mystical whose it I would still be firmly planted in the fight in some capacity." Dawn answered. 

"I was born for it, witch is the simplest way too explain my role. I descend form a long line of women that have long since stood behind the slayer in secret I just decided that since things changed for the slayer it could change for us as well. We have our own duties out side of the slaying which is where the plus part of my skill set comes in. Magically Dawn is the stringer of the two of us I just channel the energy I'm it's vessel." Briar added shrugging. "Now comes that hard part." 

"It's always the hardest part, once you know you can never in-know." Dawn stated. 

"This is the part where you decide what you do with this new knowledge." Rachel picked up. "We understand if you walk away pretend you have no idea what else exists out there and ignore us all we ask is you not just go off telling people willy nilly." 

"What is my other option? There is no way I am leaving my JAP, Legs Mc Gee and Little Red to this without help from the Puckasaur." Puck asked clearly not happy with the first option. "Is there any room for us mere humans on the front lines? I'm not really the library dwelling watching form the back kind of guy like a watcher." 

"Most watchers fight along side their team these days, even the one hundred percent grade A human ones." Dawn answered shooting him a smile. "Slayers get a full support team of watchers and magic back up these days. Most employees unless there is a reason see at least some active field time." 

"I don't think I an walk away." Quinn announced gripping Santana and Britt's hands. "I don't know how much I can actually help but knowing what's out there I can't just lay my head down every night knowing I couldn't help." 

"Let's do it this way who isn't in to learn more and see what we can do?" Santana asked half expecting Jesse to walk away since she knew him least but he didn't budge. "Does any one else in glee know?" 

"No, well he's not in our glee club but Blaine knows, he's a ninth generation junior watcher." Rachel answered looking at Briar in concern as she started to tremble. "Bria?" 

"Baby, what's wrong?" Dawn asked clearly panicking slightly. They still needed to find out what Sarajevo was. 

"They upped their ante, I've been keeping it back but they are pushing with more force I can't hold the ward up." Briar locked eyes with dawn. "It's some sort of spell that reeks of trouble, I don't think it'll kill us right off I can't hold it." 

"What the hell is that?" Dawn asked stretching her own senses. "It feels familiar but not." 

"What are you guys talking about?" San demanded as Britt whimpered. 

"I'm sorry." Briar whispered as the spell surged through her wards through her and spilled out ward to them all. Lust hit like a mac truck and hands started exploring, lips meeting for the first time or the hundredth time.


End file.
